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Rebuilding in West Virginia Read the Pineville Journal, reports and reflections from the host of the disaster response teams who worked in Pineville, West Virginia in Summer 2002 |
| Article from United Church News, January/February 2002, page 1 | |
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The white frame Presbyterian church, built more than 100 years ago, sits at the bottom of a hollow in the mountains near the mining community of Clear Creek, West Virginia. When the creek flooded last July and soil was washed from the strip-mined mountains, water and mud three feet deep filled the church, rendering it unusable. "The community’s whole life is built around the church and the high school," said Harry Harker of this isolated mountain village. Harker was the project manager for the Ohio Conference Disaster Response Team that traveled to West Virginia last October. "The congregation, only 40 members, had a huge cleanup and repair job after the flood, and their congregational life was disrupted." The Disaster Response Team decided to provide some extra hands to help the congregation rebuild. In addition to helping to strip and replace drywall, insulation, flooring, wiring and plumbing from the building’s interior, team members also started construction on a room addition that the church needs. By the end of the week, interior cleanup was progressing, and the new room’s exterior walls were up. The church provided all the materials. Team members Floyd and Dee Welker, Larry and Donna Wassem, Fred and Margaret James, Cliff Bollenbacher, and Harry and Peggy Harker drove to Clear Creek and stayed at a Ramada Inn in nearby Beckley. The male team members had made previous trips to West Virginia together, sleeping in an unused church and showering at the YMCA. "This was our first venture with our wives," said Harker, "so we decided to make it a little more comfortable. It was a combination work trip and vacation." The week-long trip came less than a month after September 11. "Everyone had the tragedy on their minds. We couldn’t do anything in New York City, but just the fact that we were volunteering to help people made us feel that we were contributing," said Harker. Disaster Response Team members usually finance trips themselves. Harker estimates that the week in West Virginia cost about $350 per couple. "The congregation we helped provided lunch for us, and the Ramada gave us a special rate of $45/night," he said. Help is still needed in West Virginia. Hundreds of homes were destroyed; thousands sustained major damage. The destruction happened mainly in the poorest counties. Hundreds of families face winter in homes with little or no heat. The very best response the Ohio Conference can offer is willing hands to help with repair and construction. Anyone can organize a team and decide when to go and how long to stay. There is currently no central organization that can accommodate volunteers. However, Ohio Conference Disaster Response Director, Jim Ditzler, has made contacts in four of the worst hit counties so that groups can be directed to possible sites depending on the need at the time of inquiry. Arrangements for any group will always include information for housing and meal options. In Spring 2002 there will also be programs for new house construction using volunteer help. For information, contact Jim Ditzler at 330-262-3242 or jditzler@bright.net. |
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